Max Fleshman

June 23, 2011

The Teacher by Herbert Freeman

Ten days ago I received an email from Jonathan C. Wright describing an encounter with Herbert Freeman. The picture above was attached to the email.

I wrote back and asked for permission to quote from his missive. Mr. Wright gave that permission and now I present it to you:

While his 9am breath smelled of intoxication, poverty, and a sense of despondency, his work showed otherwise. Heading to Starbucks this morning/afternoon, Diana and I were, therefore, inclined to buy a piece of his art that the artist called both his favorite and most treasured piece on hand – “the Teacher.”
The piece, Freeman said, signifies how children are “the teacher,” as darkly silhouetted images of children surrounded the Christ-like head image. I was struck by the sincerity of the gentleman, Herbert Freeman. To have met him seemed an honor-albeit at the time, a guarded honor, I sadly admit.
Indeed, there is no greater honor than to see a man in his glory and to recognize that we are all the same. And that in each and every one of us, there is that something, that some stint of brilliance, by which one should admire. And by which, one may be taught.

Thank you Jonathan, and I hope you enjoy your new purchase. It is gorgeous!

For the second part of our presentation we again feature work from an artist in the Slotin Folk Art Auction November 2010 catalog (PDF link in the post below). That artist is Max Fleshman and even less information is available about him than Troy Gaylon Phillips. His art will have to speak for itself. With an eye for perspective, Mr. Fleshman has decoupaged girly magazine photos onto large prints of forested landscape paintings and sometimes actual paintings. The results are quite engaging and humorous.